


Lady Meets Lord

by L0NE



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, but things still get heated, ends right before sexy times, rinea finds a cat!!, thats why i rated it teen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 02:53:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L0NE/pseuds/L0NE
Summary: Berkut should have known something was up when he heard meowing from his bedroom.





	Lady Meets Lord

Berkut should have known something was up when he heard meowing from his bedroom.

It had been such a long day, too. A seemingly never ending battle had taken place from sunrise to sunset over southern land, with heavy losses and both sides retreating, to Berkut’s dismay. Loss alone was enough to make want to Berkut tear his hair out, but retreating made his blood boil like lava. He seemed to always be infuriated by his army these days; “They’re a bunch of spineless weaklings who run away from battle once it isn’t in their favor,” Berkut had often said to other generals, and he meant every bit of it when he did. If only his men would just listen to him and fight to their last breath, like real soldiers should!

(Of course, after their disgraceful retreat, Berkut made sure to make an example of the most cowardly of his troops, and left the rest to clean up the remains.)

All he wanted to do is see his beloved Rinea after such a tiring battle. He wanted to feel her warmth, to see her smile, to sleep by her side. Running up the stairs to his room like he was running out of time, he’d already started to preemptively take off his armor, fiddling with every strap and buckle in the excitement of the opportunity to tear it off. His room is the room where she always awaits him after a day’s work, the room where his anxieties and stresses melt away when she gives him a kiss at the door. Her presence alone is enough to make him forget all that ails him, and he so desperately wanted that right now.

But today was going to be much different, he realized, when he entered into his room and discovered Rinea cradling a kitten in her arms, not standing to greet him, not waiting at the door.

The bedroom door made a louder-than-usual THUD when he closed it behind him, and he winced slightly, realizing he may have put too much force into shutting it. He also realized he might be pouting, but he didn’t bother to wipe his displeasure off of his face.

Rinea looked up at the sudden noise with a wide smile on her face, and, upon seeing her betrothed staring at her with an exhausted expression, she dropped her smile and stood up abruptly. “L-Lord Berkut! I’m so sorry, I hadn’t heard you come up on the stairs.” She stammered, still holding the small animal in her arms.

“Quite alright.” He reassured her.

(Berkut felt a pang of disappointment when Rinea’s smile didn’t return.)

He walked up his armoire, shedding his armor and placing it on the counter in front of him. Rinea turned to the side to try to hide the kitten from his view, “Uhm, how was your day?” She asked, trying to not sound conspicuous as she eyed his bed. Perhaps to find a spot to hide what she was holding?

He let out a sigh that was genuine, “...Truly disastrous. Though I didn’t come home to cry over spilt milk, so do not fret.” He continued to watch her from the mirror he faces, leaning down to remove his shoes and the armor that went with them.

( _Does she think she’s good at keeping that thing a secret from me?_ He thought to himself as he watched her looking around, then held in a smirk, _Gods, she’s too adorable._ )

After all his accessories were removed, he shed his coat that laid underneath and decided he would stay in his current attire, too tired to change into his night clothes and instead opting to remain in dress shirt and pants. He opened a hidden drawer on the side of his armoire and pulled out an elegant, white nightgown, seeing as Rinea was still in her usual dress attire and knew she would want to change later, holding the garment behind his back.

When he finished getting all set for the evening, Berkut leaned back against his dresser and pointed a finger at what was in her arms, “I’m a bit more interested in what you have there, my dear.”

Rinea’s face turned red with embarrassment at being caught, “This is…” She seemed to be scrambling for some kind of excuse, but when her eyes met with Berkut’s piercing stare, she knew the effort was futile. And she wasn’t the type of girl who could lie easily, especially to her love.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, holding the kitten out toward him so he can see it properly, “I found her in the garden!” She declared, as though she had admit to a heinous crime.

It— or, she, as Rinea said— was a orange and white kitten that had more fur than Berkut had ever seen on any animal before, with bright green eyes staring back at him in curiosity. He approached the animal cautiously and began to rub under her neck, and the kitten mewed with delight.

While Berkut had his guard down, Rinea continued with the opportunity, “Her leg was badly injured, so I came up here as soon as I could and cleaned it as best as possible. She’s very friendly, so I think someone must have abandoned her, and when I think about some cruel person just deciding to leave a defenseless kitten alone to die, I just…” She was rambling now, but when Berkut looked up and saw the hurt in her eyes, he saw the anguish in her heart. The thought of her being sad was crushing; the reality of her being sad was torture.

(And he immediately held back the comment that he would be the type of person to do such a thing!)

“She’s lovely.” Berkut said, and he surprised himself because he really did mean it. The kitten meowed as if she was thanking him.

Rinea gave him an excited smile that made his heart skip a beat, “I’m so glad you think so!” She cheered, “Lady Cora really seems to take a liking to you, too—”

“Lady Cora?” Berkut interrupted.

Rinea’s face became flush with embarrassment once more, “Ah. I decided to name her that. Do you think it’s childish?” She asked, and she was most definitely speaking from the heart. He wondered where she had heard the name before and why she liked it, because she was always so particular about nicknaming things, going so far as to name the sections of the garden outside after fairytale princes and princesses.

(He wanted to embrace her then and there, while her heart was exposed to him moreso than ever, he wanted to shower her in I-love-yous and praise for her creativity. Her pure, embarrassed smile made it hard for him not to.

But instead, he contained himself.)

Berkut gave a chuckle, “Absolutely not. I think it’s a beautiful name, especially since you’ve chosen it.” He reassured her, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. “Won’t you come to bed with me?” He asked.

Rinea’s blush remained strong, and she nodded wholeheartedly. She cupped the kitten— no, wait, Lady Cora— in one arm and took one of the many pillows from Berkut’s bed, set it on the nightstand, then slowly placed her on it, doing her best not to scare the poor thing. Lady Cora sunk into the softness of the sparkling white pillow, but didn’t resist it, letting out a loud meow that made Rinea giggle.

She turned to face Berkut, who had stepped closer now without the furry barrier between them, but quickly put up one hand to him to stop him from grabbing her like he always did, “Ah, my lord, I need to change into my nightgown.” She said.

Before she could take a step forward, Berkut revealed the nightgown he had taken from the drawer with a smug smile, “Here you are.” He placed it in her hands, and she giggled at his playfulness. Gods, her giggle would kill him someday with how cute it was.

“Thank you.” She bowed, then walked past him to a table and chair he had in the corner of his room, gently beginning to get changed for the night.

(Rinea and Berkut were not supposed to sleep together. By tradition, they shouldn’t even be alone in the same room together. But neither of them liked tradition, and Emperor Rudolf, the only man with real authority, never said they couldn’t, so they slept together almost every night. Berkut ordered lavish nightgowns to be made to her size, and every night she would fall asleep in his arms wearing one. The bright white fabric of her dress against his dark attire made her appear as though she was an angel in love with a demon… And he wondered how much of that observation was true.)

She made small talk as she busied herself, “Was your battle truly so horrible?”

Berkut walked over to his nightstand and stroked the fur of Lady Cora, who put her paws to both sides of his hand and sniffed it, intrigued. But even the cute act of the kitten could not make his problems dissipate like Rinea’s hold did, and he sighed another genuine sigh, “Unfortunately so. Through no fault of mine— it’s the weak men who get drafted that cost us today.” He looked up from Lady Cora to see Rinea with her back to him removing her shirt, her accessories all neatly folded and in different piles on the table.

She frowned, even though he couldn’t see it, he knew she did, “I’m sorry, my dear.”

(Whenever Rinea expressed a grievance for how terrible a battle was, Berkut wanted to kill every man in his army for making his beloved apologize on behalf of their foolishness.)

“Don’t be.” He waved his free hand at her, watching as she undid her skirt and let it fall to the ground, “If everyone had the same dedication as you do, we would have the entire world conquered by now… Yet, I also like having this amazing woman all to myself.” He grinned, and when she bent over to pull down her stockings, she made eye contact with him and stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Oh, you.” She stood straight and folded her stockings, then stepped into her nightgown, its lace edges going down to the bottom of her knees and just barely covering her shoulders, “You flatter me too much.” She said, pulling up the gown from the top just slightly.

(He was no pervert, of course, but he could not help but to stare at Rinea as she changed for the night. It was like she was blossoming, like she was a beautiful warm flower in this empty castle, in this cold bedroom. When other people got dressed, they got dressed. When Rinea got dressed, she made it an art.)

Berkut laughed at her bashful comment, “Is it not the truth— OUCH?!”

Their romantic conversation had been cut short by a sudden dull pain in Berkut’s occupied hand. He turned to see that the curious kitten had now clamped its jaws down on his hand, on the side opposite of his thumb, and it didn’t seem to want to let go any time soon.

Rinea rushed over, concerned, “Oh, no! My Lord Berkut, are you alright? She’s still a baby, she doesn’t know right from wrong yet.” She reassured him, putting her hand to his and seeing how hard she was biting down. “Bad girl!” Rinea lightly hit the kitten on the head, hard enough to let her know she had done something wrong, but light enough to not actually hurt her. Lady Cora quickly released her bite on his hand and hung her head low, maybe in shame.

Berkut shook his hand slightly and wiped away any bit of blood or saliva on the back of his leg. “I’m fine. She doesn’t have very sharp teeth, anyways.” He said.

Rinea stared up at him, eyes almost full with tears. She was definitely feeling guilty, and Berkut wished she wasn’t. She held his injured hand, gingerly, knowing that she had no right to grab a Lord in such a way, “Are you sure? I’m so sorry, this is all my fault, please, wait a moment, I’ll bandage your—”

With his free hand, Berkut brought her close, hugging her tightly, “My love, please, do not make me wait any longer for this...” He whispered into her ear, kissing it.

Rinea remained still in his grasp, then courageously hugged him back, “Oh, my lord…” She murmured into his chest, enamored by his love for her.

(He knew she understood now how badly he wanted to rest, and she held him in such a way that made him want to sleep in her arms then and there.)

Before he knew it, Rinea had sat him down, blown out the candles in his room, opened his window curtains to reveal the moon and stars that hung outside, and rejoined him on his bed, in a silence that was so comforting to him he could not explain how high it made his heart soar.

“Tomorrow is another day, my lord.” Rinea grasped his hand, warmth against his cold, “I know it will be better towards you.” She leaned against him, staring up at the moon they faced together. She was sitting in the middle of the bed with him, and, if she closed her eyes for a moment, the bed felt like an oasis from another world, one where the wars of the continents and the pain and suffering did not reach.

(She was staring at the moon, but he was staring at her, staring at the way the moonlight shone down on her and made her look like a goddess, the highest being possible, one that robbed both Duma and Mila of their places. How lucky was he that he were to be married to such perfection?)

Berkut squeezed her hand tightly. “Thank you, my love,” Was the only thing he could mutter in the moment, just wanting to stare at her.

She didn’t know he was looking at her, so she continued to stare forward, “I worry for you all the time. My heart aches when you come home and are frustrated, and even moreso when you insist you are fine but you really…” She let her voice trail off, realizing she was being much too assertive, and didn’t want to come off as rude. She clasped her other hand over where they were already holding hands, “I only hope that the time we spend together in the hours of the night like this ease your heart and mind. I wish only for your happiness.”

Berkut craned his neck and kissed the top of Rinea’s head, “And I, as well. I could never explain how much hope and joy you bestow upon me when you sit here with me like this. You bring me happiness in many ways, Rinea.” He assured her, knowing full well he could simply spend hours upon hours just naming a few ways in which she brightened his day. Talking with him like this was one, one that he appreciated more than anything. Another was...

“In _many_ ways.” He looked over to the pillow on their nightstand and to his previous attacker, who had curled up into a ball once more, then back to Rinea, grinning.

Rinea leaned forward, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, looking at the pillow with scrutiny in the dark.

Then, after a moment, she leaned back and looked up to Berkut, taking one hand away to point gently, “She’s sleeping…” Rinea whispered, like a mystified child.

Berkut nodded, tearing his eyes away from her again to look closer, “So it seems.”

The two stared at the kitten for a moment, a calm washing over them as they did so. Rinea giggled, a warm smile on her face, “It’s almost like we’re watching over our child, or—”

She regretted the words as soon as she said it, realizing how indecent it made her sound. To wish for a child without his vocal desire for one! They were still of two different statuses, and for someone of her rank to make a statement so bold in front of a Lord could easily have her killed. She clasped a hand over her mouth quickly and retreated from his side, moving back a bit, “Forgive me.” She whispered.

As if she needed to be forgiven by him!

Berkut removed her hand from her mouth and brought his lips to hers, pressing her back against the mattress. He no longer felt tired, not yet.

“No,” Berkut whispered between their kisses, “I rather like what you’ve said.” He pulls away and his lips meet with her neck, and she bites her lip so hard he was scared she would draw blood soon enough. But with every kiss he planted, every mark he left, she became weaker towards his touch and held him tighter.

(He knew she was weak to his kisses, and he exploited that as much as he could. He left marks where her dress collar would cover the next morning, held such long kisses that he forgot they both needed to breathe. He wanted to do this with her forever.)

“L-Lord Berkut…” She gripped onto his back, squeezing him tightly to her as he had his way with her delicate skin and burying her face into his shoulder, “Do you mean that…?” She asked. He could feel her face burning against him.

“I do, Rinea.” He cooed into her ear, and the way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. She kissed the side of his head, hugging him tighter now, wrapping both legs around his as if to secure him. As if he would leave! No war in the world could get him to abandon her like this.

(Her mannerisms when they were alone in this fashion were beyond adorable, he had come to note— she was possessive like he was, but innocent like a child that wanted a doll. Berkut loved nothing more than her clinging onto him, than insisting he was hers in her own way, than knowing she wanted him.)

After one particularly long kiss, he pulled away from her and laid by her side, and she responded by curling up next to him and resting her head under his chin.

Berkut put one of his hands to her waist and pulled her in closely, taking his other hand and lacing his fingers in her hair, “After I’ve accomplished all of what my Uncle asks of me,” He said, his voice calm, “I want to start a family with you. It can be you, me, however many children you desire, and even Lady Cora, if you’d like.”

Her heart flipped at his proposal, admittedly, and she had to take a moment to recompose herself. She laughed a little, but it was one of happiness and relief, especially since he was stroking her hair with the same hand that had just been attacked a few moments ago, “Oh, Lord Berkut…!” She smiled, looking over at the first official member of their future family, “I really am glad you’re fond of her still… And I am sure you will make a wonderful father.”

(He wasn’t sure about that, but he knew if he had Rinea by his side, he could be whatever she wished him to be. He hoped their children inherited her charm and grace.)

Berkut kissed the top of her head, “And when that time comes, when we are wed, I want you to call me ‘Berkut’, only.” He said, and it sounded more like a command. Probably because it was.

Rinea’s eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously in protest. To do such a thing would be beyond disrespectful, even if they were married, and she’d already pushed his buttons plenty. “N-No, I couldn’t possibly—”

“Try it now. Just ‘Berkut’.” He asked of her, his voice going soft. He didn’t want to intimidate her, and he knew what he was asking of her was a daunting task in itself for someone of her status— to blatantly ignore the title of someone higher than her. But once they were married, he knew he didn’t want her to refer to him with such honorifics, and they would be equally ranked. Berkut wanted to get a glimpse of what that would be like now.

Rinea remained silent for a moment, saying a silent prayer in her head and wondering if she would survive being so rude, “B…” She stammered, quickly losing confidence, and she hugged herself against his chest as she tried again,

“Berkut…”

Her voice was barely a whisper,

“I love you, Berkut…”

(He’d never known what it was like to get the wind knocked out of him before. He'd taken some pride in that— he thought it was sign he was strong.

Yet, when Rinea spoke his name like that, with such delicacy and care and love and a million other emotions mixing together, he was at complete loss for words and tact. He realized how weak he was to her.

If he was seeing stars now, Rinea was the moon— the beautiful piece of his dark sky that made the adorning stars fade away with how dull they were. Nothing could compare, nothing could even come close to her majesty.

That was past the tipping point. He was beyond the deep end now.)

Berkut immediately tore himself away from her side, sat up, and began to unbutton his shirt as fast as humanly possible. Rinea sat up slightly, trying to see what he was doing, confused. “I’ve changed my mind.” He said and tossed his shirt somewhere unknown, then loomed over Rinea before she could say anything, “Why don’t we start this family now?” He had one hand on the headboard behind her, the other taking her hand and kissing it lightly.

Rinea stared at him wide eyed, taking a moment to process what he had just said. She went from shock to nervousness to embarrassment and back again like a circle, trying not to look down as he slipped away from her and undid his pants with his free hand, “W-Wait, my lord!” She protested, her mind spinning, her heart racing. If she were to ever faint, now would be a probable time.

“‘My lord’?” Berkut repeated, feigning curiosity, and Rinea bit her lip once more, weak to his teasing, “W-Wait, Berkut…”

(Truth be told, though they had engaged in things common by lovers, they had never gone this far before. Even if they didn’t like tradition, they knew they shouldn’t do such a thing before they were married. Imagine what people would say, imagine what Emperor Rudolf would say! But in this moment, Berkut no longer cared! He wanted her, he wanted to be with her more than anything in the world, he wanted to embrace her.)

She looked away as he kicked off his pants, her face scarlet, when her mouth went agape and she pointed next to them, “We need to stay quiet, lest Lady Cora awakens!” She said, pointing repeatedly at the nightstand.

Berkut laughed at that being her only concern, his eyes darting to the kitten that was still snoring away. “It’ll be fine,” He insisted, lifting up her nightgown and placing both hands on her sides, her skin burning at his touch, “Don’t cats enjoy sleeping? Now should be no different.” His fingers started to hook under her underclothes at the hip, and it felt like her entire body alighted when he began to pull them down.

Rinea uncrossed her legs without even thinking about what he was doing, and she shook her head, her face beyond red as she saw him toss her undergarment behind him. “You know that is not my point here!” She whisper-yelled.

“Will you really let an animal stop this from happening?” He asked, his voice smooth like velvet as he leaned down and pressed his lower half against her, her jumping at the feeling of his chiseled body bare on top of her. “Or do you not want to?”

Rinea looked away, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt beyond disgraceful, like she was a dirty woman for wanting to engage in such an act, especially before marriage, “Of course I want to…!” She pouted, “How could I not want to…!”

Berkut kissed at the bridge of her nose, “Then isn’t that desire enough? Come to me, Rinea. I want to love you, not use you. I want this feeling to be mutual.” When she opened her eyes and found herself staring up at the beautiful brown eyes of her beloved, she could no longer hold herself back, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Do not think of me as some easy woman…” Rinea found herself murmuring as she looked up at him, and Berkut chuckled, “I would never. You are as graceful as a queen— how could I ever think of you in such a way?”

( _I'd only like to think of you as my woman_ , he thought, _My queen._ )

At his tugging down of the top of her nightgown, she both laughed and sighed at the same time at his urgency, “Ah, you’re just as stubborn as an animal, Berkut—!”

She couldn’t finish what she was saying before his lips came crashing down onto hers, and they lost themselves in the moment right after.

 

 

It was a good thing that their particular kitten was a heavy sleeper.

And it was also a good thing that Berkut wouldn’t be sent out on another skirmish until the afternoon that next day.

Maybe out of the ordinary days weren’t so bad, they both thought to themselves.

 

 

_End._

**Author's Note:**

> the cat in this story is based off of the cat i actually have. i didnt find her as a kitten but i did find her as a 1 year old. love you coraline.
> 
> i wasnt courageous enough to write a sex scene so i left it off RIGHT BEFORE!!!!!! total rebel


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